Biased stack facial tissue dispenser



Aug. 24, 1965 B. SILVER BIASED STACK FACIAL TISSUE DISPENSER Filed Sept. 24, 1963 INVENTOR. BERNARD SILVER,DECEASED BY PHYLLIS R. SILVER, ADMINISTRATRIX ATTO/FWHf United States Patent "Ice BIASED STACK FACIAL TISSUE DISPENSER Bernard Silver, deceased, late of North Hills, Pa., by

Phyllis R. Silver, executrix, North Hills, Pa., assignor to Eiectro-Nite Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 311,250 4 Claims. (Cl. 22159) In general, this invention relates to a new and improved facial tissue dispenser and more particularly to a facial tissue dispenser which assures that the tissues will be biased against the dispensing opening of the dispenser whileproviding an indication of the number of tissues remaining so asto inform the user as to the proper time to replace the dispenser.

in the past, many facial tissue dispensers have been developed of the pop up type for dispensing one tissue at a time. Further, these tissue dispensers can also dispense more than one tissue at a time as per those developed by the Scott Paper Company, Chester, Pennsylvania and sold as the Magic Oval Dispenser.

However, all of these prior dispensers have a common fault. That is, as the number of tissues in the box decreased, the ability of the box to dispense one tissue at a time also decreased since the single tissue dispensing feature was in large measure due to the opening through which the tissues were dispensed. That is, the single tissue dispensing was :far more elfcctive when the tissues were pressed against or immediately juxtaposed to the wall having the dispensing opening.

Still further, these prior art devices informed the user i of the need for replacing the dispenserby such crude and indirect methods as providing a window at the bottom of the dispensing box. This window was oft times not looked at by the user and further detracted from the overall ap- Another object of thisinvention is to provide a new 9 and better facial tissue dispenser in which the tissues are more easily dispensed one at a time regardless of. the number of tissues remaining in the dispenser.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a better and more simple facial tissue dispenser which gives a positive indication of the need for replacing the dispenser.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a tacial tissue dispenser built in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view of the facial tissue dispenser of FIGURE 1 taken along lines 2-2.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of the facial tissue dispenser of the present invention taken along lines 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of the facial tissue dispenser of the present invention similar to FIGURE 2 after half of the tissues in thedispenser have been dis. pensed.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of the dispenser of FIGURE 4 taken along lines 5'5.

FIGURE 6 is an exploded perspective view of the stack of tissue, cradle, and resilient biasing means of the dispenser of FIGURE 1.

3,202,316 Patented Aug. 24, 1965 In FIGURE 1, there is shown a dispenser 10 built in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The dispenser 10 includes a box-like housing 12 usually formed of cardboard or other like material having a top WEI-11.14.

The top wall 14 has an oval dispensing opening 16 therein through which tissues are to be dispensed.

Within the box 12 and juxtaposed to the top wall 14 is a separate dispensing wall 18 having an oval dispensing opening 20 congruent to the oval dispensing opening 16 in the top wall 14. The separate dispensing wall 18 rests on the top surface of a stack of facial tissues 22.

The box 12 has parallel left and right side walls 24 and 26 respectively and a bottom wall 28.

Secured to the inside surface of left side wall 24 adjacent the top edge thereof. are a pair of elastic strips 32 and 32' having a respective one end 30 and 30' adhesively secured to the side wall 24 by means of patches 34 and '34-.

The elastic strips"32 and 32' have their other ends 36 and 36 secured to the inner surface of right side wall 26 along the top edge thereotf by suitable adhesive patches 38 and 38'. p

The stack of facial tissues 22 in thedispensing box [12 rests on a channel shaped. cradle 40 having a fiat bottorn surface 42 and upstanding left and right side walls 44 and 46 respectively. Cradle side walls 44 and 46 are of a height approximately one-half the height of the left and right box side walls 24 and ,26, t t

Cradle left side Wall 44 has a pair of spaced notches 43 and 48 along the top edge thereof spaced in the same manner as adhesive patches 34 and 34'. Notches 48 and 48' are slightly larger than adhesive patches 34 and 34'. Cradle right side wall 46 also has a pair of spaced notches 50 and 50 for-med along thetop edge thereof in accordancewith the spacing of adhesive patches 38 and 3-8. Notches 50 and 50' are slightly larger than adhesive patc-hes38 and '38; a

Elastic strips 32 and 32' pass under cradle 40. When there is a full stack of tissues 22 in thedispensing box 12 as shown in FIGURE 2, the elastic strips 32 and 3 2' are stretched thus biasing the tissues against the dispensing wall 18 and topwall 14. After approximately half the tissues in stack 22 have been removed from the dispenser It), the narrow depleted stack 22' shown in FIGURE 4 has reached a point wherein cradle 40 has its side walls 44 and 46 abutting top wall 14. When this occurs, the elastic strips 52 will not bias the facial tissue any further against the dispensing wall 18 and top wall 14. It will be noted that notches 48, 48' and 50, 50 allow' the side walls 44 and 46 respectively to avoid interference with the adhesive patches 34, 34' and 3-8, 38'. When the cradle 40 reaches this limit stop condition, the user will note that the tissues are no longer biased against the top wall 14 of the dispenser. Thus, he is on notice every time he removes a tissue that the stack 22' has been depleted to the point where a new dispenser should be purchased. This is a direct method of informing the user that such is necessary.

Further, during the initial dispensing the tissues were always biased against the dispensing wall 18 and top wall 14 by the elastic strips 32 and 32. Even after the cradle 40 has reached its uppermost position, the tissues still would not be spaced a distance from the top wall 14 which would prevent their being dispensed one at a time. This allows the manufactured facial tissue dispensing box to be with a greater depth than is presently possible. This is due to the raised effective bottom for the stack 22 of tissues.

It will be understood from the teachings of the present invention that the elastic strips 32 and 32 could be secured to the side walls 24 and 26 by any other securing means if desired. However, the notches 48, 48 and 50, 50 will always insure against jamming of the cradle 40 with respect to the ends 30, 30 and 36, 36' of the elastic strips 32 and 32'.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A facial tissue dispenser comprising a cardboard box, said box having upstanding side walls joined by horizontal top and bottom Walls, said top Wall having-a dispensing opening therein, a stack of facial tissues in said box, an elastic strip having its ends secured to said side walls and passing beneath said stack of facial tissues, a cradle, said cradle being placed below said stack of facial tissues between said stack of facial tissues and said elastic strip, said elastic strip biasing said cradle upward towards said top wall and resiliently biasing said facial tissues against said top wall, said cradle being channel-shaped, said cradle having upstanding cradle side walls, said cradle side walls having a height substantially equal to one-half the height f said box side walls whereby said cradle side walls act as a limit stop for'movement of said cradle, said elastic strip being secured on the inside surface of said box side walls adjacent said top wall, said cradle side walls having notches along the top edge thereof, said cradle side wall notches being spaced in accordance with the ends of said elastic strip to prevent interference between said cradle side walls and the ends :of said elastic strip.

2. A dispenser comprising a box, said box having'upstanding side walls joined by horizontal top and bottom walls, said top wall having a dispensing opening therein, a cradle-within said box adapted to support a stack of sheets to be dispensed, an elastic strip having its ends secured to said side walls and passing beneath said cradle, said cradle being between said elastic strip and said top Wall, said elastic strip being adapted to bias said cradle upward toward said top wall whereby sheets supported by said cradle are biased against said top wall, said cradle being channel-shaped, said cradle having upstanding side walls whereby said cradle side Walls act as a limit stop for movement of said cradle, said elastic strip being secured to the inside surface of said box walls adjacent said top wall, said cradle side walls having notches along th top edge thereof, said cradle side Wall notches being spaced in accordance with the ends of said elastic strip to prevent interference between said cradle side walls and the ends of said elastic strip.

3. The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said cradle side walls have a height substantially equal to one-half the height of said box side walls, and a separate freely movable dispensing wall, said dispensing wall being spaced between said top wall and said cradle, said dispensing wall having a second dispensing opening therein, said second dispensing opening being substantially concentric with said top wall dispensing opening.

4. A facial tissue dispenser comprising a cardboard box, said box having upstanding side walls joined by horizontal top and bottom walls, said top wall having a dispensing opening therein, a stack of facial tissues in said box, a channel-shaped cradle within said box, said stack of facial tissues resting on said cradle, said cradle having upstanding side walls, a resilient biasing means biasing said cradle and said stack of tissues towards said box top wall, said resilient biasing means including a pair of spaced elastic strips, said elastic strips having their opposite ends secured to the inside surface of said side walls adjacent the top edge thereof, said elastic strips passing beneath said cradle, and a separate freely movable dispensing wall, said dispensing wall being spaced between the top of said stack of tissues and said top wall, said dispensing wall having a second dispensing opening therein, said second dispensing opening being substantially concentric with said top wall dispensing opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,218,196 3/17 McCorkindale 221-52 1,593,532 7/26 Hansen 22 152 2,082,765 6/37 Krueger 22l-52 X 2,802,567 8/57 Covel. 3,024,958 3/62 Loderhose.

FOREIGN PATENTS 917,049 1/63 Great Britain.

930,742 7/63 Great Britain.

289,431 10/31 Italy.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application.1,022,775, January 16,

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH L. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A FACIAL TISSUE DISPENSER COMPRISING A CARDBOARD BOX, SAID BOX HAVING UPSTANDING SIDE WALLS JOINED BY HORIZONTAL TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, SAID TOP WALL HAVING A DISPENSING OPENING THEREIN, A STACK OF FACIAL TISSUES IN A SAID BOX, AN ELASTIC STRIP HAVING ITS ENDS SECURED TO SAID SIDE WALLS AND PASSING BENEATH SAID STACK OF FACIAL TISSUES, A CRADLE, SAID CRADLE BEING PLACED BELOW SAID STACK OF FACIAL TISSUES BETWEEN SAID STACK OF FACIAL TISSUES AND SAID ELASTIC STRIP, SAID ELASTIC STRIP BIASING SAID CRADLE UPWARD TOWARDS SAID TOP WALL AND RESILIENTLY BIASING SAID FACIAL TISSUES AGAINST SAID TOP WALL, SAID CRADLE BEING CHANNEL-SHAPED, SAID CRADLE HAVING UPSTANDING CRADLE SIDE WALLS, SAID CRADLE SIDE WALLS HAVING A HEIGHT SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO ONE-HALF THE HEIGHT OF SAID BOX SIDE WALLS WHEREBY SAID CRADLE SIDE WALLS ACT AS A LIMIT STOP FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID CRADLE, SAID ELASTIC STRIP BEING SECURED ON THE INSIDE SURFACE OF SAID BOX SIDE WALLS ADJACENT SAID TOP WALL, SAID CRADLE SIDE WALLS HAVING NOTCHES ALONG THE TOP EDGE THEREOF, SAID CRADLE SIDE WALL NOTCHES BEING SPACED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ENDS OF SAID ELASTIC STRIP TO PREVENT INTERFERENCE BETWEEN SAID CRADLE SIDE WALLS AND THE ENDS OF SAID ELASTIC STRIP. 